Standalone Blog Pages

April 9, 2012

LGBT Brigham Young University Students Bravely Share Their Stories

The Official LDS Church Position: Only Celibate LGBT Members Allowed!

A
group of amazing and very brave students at Brigham Young University,
made an “It Gets Better” video, and came out publicly, despite the long
history of bigotry and hate that the Mormon church has exhibited toward
LGBTQ individuals.

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints - Current Church Doctrine

On
September 23, 1995 Gordon Hinckley read a proclamation entitled “The
Family - A Proclamation to the World.” Hinckley was the President of the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS), from 1995 until his
death in 2008. The Proclamation begins with:

We,
the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve Apostles of The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, solemnly proclaim that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children.

The
President of the church, and the Twelve Apostles, write the church
“Handbook of Instructions,” which contain the rules and policies that
govern the church, and guides LDS church leaders. The handbook states:

Homosexual
behavior violates the commandments of God, is contrary to the purposes
of human sexuality, and deprives people of the blessings that can be
found in family life and in the saving ordinances of the gospel. Those
who persist in such behavior or who influence others to do so are
subject to Church discipline. Homosexual behavior can be forgiven
through sincere repentance.

If
members engage in homosexual behavior, Church leaders should help them
have a clear understanding of faith in Jesus Christ, the process of
repentance, and the purpose of life on earth.

While
opposing homosexual behavior, the Church reaches out to understanding
and respect to individuals who are attracted to those of the same
gender.

If
members feel same-gender attraction but do not engage in any homosexual
behavior, leaders should support and encourage them in their resolve to
live the law of chastity and to control unrighteous thoughts. These
members may receive Church callings. If they are worthy and qualified in
every other way, they may also hold temple recommends and receive
temple ordinances.

The
Mormon church makes it clear that they do not support same-sex
marriage, and that LGBT Mormons are welcome in the church as long as
they live a life of chastity. Failure to adhere to these rules results
in excommunication from the church. Some families disown their LGBT
children to preserve their standing in the church, while other LDS
families are told they must leave the church if they support and stand
with their LGBT children.

Brigham Young University

The
LDS church owns and operates Brigham Young University (BYU), which is
located in Provo, Utah. BYU is the largest religious based university in
the United States, with almost 35,000 students. It is also the third
largest private university, and is popularly known as the “Lord’s
university” in the Mormon community. The Princeton Review says that “BYU is consistently ranked as one of the most unfriendly campuses for LGBT students.”BYU employs an “Honor Code” that each enrolled student must live by. "As
a matter of personal commitment, faculty, administration, staff, and
students of Brigham Young University, Brigham Young University—Hawaii,
Brigham Young University—Idaho, and LDS Business College seek to
demonstrate in daily living on and off campus those moral virtues
encompassed in the gospel of Jesus Christ, and will

All
students, faculty, and staff must adhere to the Honor Code, that is
administered by an Honor Council. Any violation of the Honor Code is
reviewed by the Council, and they can issue a warning to faculty members
and students, or expel a student, or revoke the tenure of faculty
members.With
the anti-gay climate that exists within the Mormon Church, and
presumably within the BYU community, a very brave group of students made
an “It Gets Better” video, that they called “It Gets Better at Brigham Young University.”According to ABC news:

Until
2007, BYU students could risk expulsion for discussing their sexual
orientation, under the school's honor code. In 2007, the honor code was
changed to, "One's stated sexual orientation is not an Honor Code
issue."

All
BYU students are prohibited from having premarital sex, but
heterosexual students can show affection in public. Homosexual students
cannot.

The
BYU 2011 Honor Code states, "Brigham Young University will respond to
homosexual behavior rather than to feelings or attraction and welcomes
as full members of the university community all whose behavior meets
university standards."

In
2010, a gay-straight alliance group called Understanding Same-Gender
Attraction (USGA) was founded on the BYU campus. On its Facebook page,
the group clarified, "Please note that USGA meets outside of any
sponsorship, endorsement, or support by BYU."

The
students interviewed in the video, who are members of the USGA, hope to
make other gay Mormons realize that they are not alone.

The
video states that there are over 1,800 LGBT students at BYU, and that
1,300+ students have contemplated suicide, while over 430 students have
attempted to harm themselves. Those are pretty sobering statistics.I
don’t know how much more honest someone can be, but Mark, the first BYU
student featured in the video says “If I’m going to be authentic, I
don’t know if ‘It Gets Better’ but I’m trying to believe that.”These
amazing students speak openly and honestly to the camera, and
articulate their inner struggles, and discuss how some of them felt that
death was preferable to being gay. That really breaks my heart to hear
that.This
video is exceptional, and it ends on an upbeat note. I hope that you’ll
watch it, and I’ll embed it at the end of this blog post.ABC news also reports:

Despite
the restrictions, homosexual Mormons are reluctant to leave the church
because Mormonism plays a significant role in the formation of a
person's identity, said Kendall Wilcox, the former BYU student and
faculty member who produced the video.

"Your
Mormon identity comes first and then all the other categories like
nationality or even sexual orientation," Wilcox told ABC News. "So by
the time a homosexual Mormon comes into their sexual maturity, they have
already 'found themselves' comfortably within the Mormon identity. So
to then consider giving up that identity and faith, even though the
principles of that faith may seem diabolically against you and cause you
to severely question your self-worth and status before God, it can be
equally traumatizing to consider oneself outside the Mormon identity and
experience."

I’ve
heard that when you’re an LDS member, that your Mormon identity comes
first. That’s why I can’t imagine that Willard Mitt Romney will just
sail through to the election in November, without examining his faith
and the central role it plays in his life.Rosemary Winters wrote in the Salt Lake Tribune:

In
recent years, the LDS Church-owned school has adjusted its Honor Code
to allow students to identify as gay without facing sanctions so long as
they avoid physical intimacy with members of the same sex. Chastity
before marriage is expected of all students.

"Students
who are upholding the Honor Code are welcome as full members of the BYU
community," school spokeswoman Carri Jenkins said Friday. She declined
to comment specifically on the new YouTube video, which was produced by
former BYUtv broadcaster Kendall Wilcox. He’s currently working on an
independent documentary called "Far Between" about being gay and Mormon.

White
hopes the video not only lets young gay Mormons know they are loved but
changes perceptions about BYU. As a student there, he insists it’s not
as conservative or closed-minded as some people might think.

These
students put everything on the line in this video, and it’s fantastic. I
hope that their families at home embrace them, and accept them, in the
same spirit that they articulate in the video - about how their peers on
campus have supported them.It’s
very gratifying to know that they have built a support system for
themselves, within the university community. That will serve them well
in the future, when they are living their dreams, and discovering that it truly does get better.

If
you think about harming yourself, you’re in danger, or are
contemplating suicide and need help, please call the Trevor Project at
866-4-U-TREVOR (866-488-7386).